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Coherently driven microcavity-polaritons and the question of superfluidity
R T Juggins1, J Keeling2, M H Szymańska3
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. richard.juggins@gmail.com.
Nature Communications
|October 5, 2018
Summary
Photonic quantum fluids exhibit unique behaviors. Coherently driven polaritons do not show superfluidity, but instead form a rigid state unresponsive to forces, challenging previous interpretations of dissipationless flow.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Condensed matter physics
- Photonics
Background:
- Photonic quantum fluids, characterized by their driven-dissipative nature, offer novel avenues for exploring superfluidity.
- Previous observations of nearly dissipationless flow in microcavity-polaritons were interpreted as evidence of superflow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the superfluid response of coherently driven microcavity-polaritons.
- To clarify the nature of flow phenomena in driven-dissipative quantum fluids.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of the superfluid response, defined as the difference between responses to longitudinal and transverse forces.
- Examination of the excitation spectrum and its properties under external phase locking.
- Analysis of the system's behavior at finite pump momentum.
Main Results:
- The superfluid response of coherently driven polaritons is found to be zero due to a gapped excitation spectrum induced by phase locking.
- A normal component exists at finite pump momentum, while the rest of the fluid forms a rigid, unresponsive state.
- The total response nearly vanishes when the excitation spectrum exhibits linear dispersion, matching experimental conditions.
Conclusions:
- The observed suppression of scattering in experiments should be attributed to this novel rigid state, not superfluidity.
- Coherently driven polaritons do not exhibit true superfluidity under the investigated conditions.
- The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of phenomena previously interpreted as superflow in driven-dissipative quantum systems.
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